RACING is, intrinsically, a carnival sport.
And in the trots there’s no more magnificent or iconic carnival than the one set to launch at Mildura tonight.
If you’re a gallops zealot and don’t know much about harness racing, think Warrnambool’s May carnival only slightly longer and potentially more brutal if done with genuine intent.
This evening, the festivities will begin with heats of the Tesco Petroleum Mildura Cup, the Tenderprint Australia Cup, the Euston Club Pace and the Park Douglas Printing Pace.
Without doubt, Mildura would be somewhat disappointed with their number of nominations for the Mildura Cup itself.
However, across the board, night one of Mildura’s three-night carnival, which culminates with Group 2 Saturday evening action, still whets the appetite for what will surely follow.
The headline acts of the Cup qualifiers themselves, include Our Millionaire, Phoenix Prince, Boots Electric and Bulletproof Boy.
While Russell Jack-trained duo One Two Many and Jeremy Wells lead the list of other exciting customers competing on the card.
Perhaps most importantly, Mildura Cup week will once again host a cavalcade of young driving stars showcasing their talents.
In recent years, burgeoning reinspeople have cut their teeth up in the Sunraysia.
The tyranny of distance, you see, often precludes the biggest names from making what can often seem a staggeringly long round trip, and as a result these kids get exposure to wildly competitive racing without the might of Alford or Sugars among their rivals.
The elder states-people of this group include Alex Ashwood, Bec Bartley and Ellen Tormey.
The list of terrifying younger tyros, however, stretches the circumference of Mildura’s 800-metre circuit.
Names like Jim Herbertson, Jack Laugher, Ryan Sanderson, Jordan Leedham and recent Warragul Cup-winner Michelle Phillips dominate these reaches and will again feature this week.
And featuring in this week means something.
This week means something; it’s Mildura, you see, and Mildura matters.
THERE’S one question right now that most squaregaiting fans would love to ask leading trainer, Anton Golino.
Everyone already knows how good Golino’s top trotting mare, Im Ready Jet, is at her best.
But just how close is his second-best trotter, Hopeful Beauty?
On Saturday night at Tabcorp Park, Hopeful Beauty handled horses like McLovin, Wobelee and Sundons Courage like she lived in another world to them when winning the Group 3 Melton Trotters Free For All.
In one way, the win wasn’t fall-off-your-stool shocking.
After all, Hopeful Beauty has beaten Im Ready Jet once before, and almost repeated the dose when second to that stablemate in the La Coocaracha.
But right now, it seems her rollercoaster ride of form has finished and she’s agreed to fulfil her overflowing talent.
If she does that question’s coming for Golino soon.
The opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the author and may not be attributed to or represent policies of Harness Racing Victoria, which is the state authority and owner of thetrots.com.au.